Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline
of Canada by fleet size and passengers carried. The airline, founded in
1937, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and
cargo to 207 destinations worldwide. It is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Air Canada's corporate headquarters are in Montreal, Quebec, while its largest hub is at Toronto Pearson International Airport. The airline's regional service is Air Canada Express.
Canada's national airline originated from the Canadian federal government's 1936 creation of Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA), which began operating its first transcontinental flight routes in 1938. In 1965, TCA was renamed Air Canada following government approval. After the deregulation
of the Canadian airline market in the 1980s, the airline was privatized
in 1988.
On 4 January 2000, Air Canada acquired its largest rival, Canadian Airlines. In 2003, the airline filed for bankruptcy protection and in the following year emerged and reorganized under the holding company ACE Aviation Holdings Inc. In 2017, Air Canada flew 11 million passengers, as the airline celebrated its 80th anniversary.
Air Canada has a fleet of Airbus A330, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, and Boeing 787 Dreamlinerwide-body aircraft on long-haul routes and uses the Airbus A320 family aircraft (including the A319, A320, and A321 variants), Boeing 737 MAX 8, and Embraer E190 family aircraft on short-haul routes.
The carrier's operating divisions include Air Canada Cargo, Air Canada Express, Air Canada Jetz (private jet charters), and Air Canada Rouge
(leisure airline). Its subsidiary, Air Canada Vacations, provides
vacation packages to over 90 destinations. Together with its regional
partners, the airline operates on average more than 1,602 scheduled
flights daily.
